


Vignette--Restraint

by wheel_pen



Series: Viridian Mal [40]
Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fish out of Water, Gen, Imprinting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-17
Updated: 2013-04-17
Packaged: 2017-12-08 19:28:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/765140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wheel_pen/pseuds/wheel_pen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Non-corporeal aliens can take over crewmember’s bodies. And one of them takes over Trip’s.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Vignette--Restraint

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. Viridians appear human, but are actually aliens who imprint on other people (Viridian or otherwise) and form a bond with them. They also live their entire life cycle in about six Earth years.
> 
> 2\. In each series, a different character is a Viridian, who was raised by mean Klingons on an outpost. An Enterprise crewmember is captured by the Klingons and they inadvertently form a bond with the Viridian, who helps them escape. Then they return to rescue the Viridian and bring them aboard the Enterprise. The Viridian homeworld is contacted and the Enterprise crew learn the Viridian will most likely die if they are sent away. So they end up staying on the Enterprise, and the crewmember has to adjust.
> 
> 3\. The bad words are censored. That’s just how I do things.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this AU. I own nothing and appreciate the chance to play in this universe.

"There _has_ to be a way to detect them!" Archer insisted, feeling more than a little desperate.

T'Pol's reaction was negative. "Dr. Phlox and I have been examining all cases. We haven't been able to find any disruptions in normal human physiology that we could use as an identifying mechanism."

"Aliens are takin' over someone's _body_ , and you can't detect any _differences_?" Trip asked with disbelief.

"So far, abnormal behavior appears to be the only indicator," T'Pol admitted.

The lift doors opened to deposit Mal on the Bridge. "I told you to stay in Engineering," Trip reminded him peevishly.

"There's bad people on the ship," Mal reported, looking around.

"Yes, we know, thanks," Archer snapped.

"There's one on the Bridge," Mal added, starting to prowl. Trip and Jon glanced at each other, hope dawning.

"Mal, can you tell when someone's been—taken over by one of these aliens?" Archer pressed.

"They want to hurt Trip," Mal told him, by way of an answer.

Actually they wanted to hurt _everyone_ , but Archer wasn't going to quibble. "So who is it?"

"Sir," Hoshi cut in suddenly, "we're getting reports of a disturbance on E deck—several crewmembers involved in an altercation?"

"Send Security," Archer ordered, turning towards the lift. "Come on—"

"Wait." Mal cocked his head to the side as he stared at Hoshi. Then he began to creep towards her cautiously.

"Captain," Hoshi said nervously, glancing at him. "The disturbance—on E deck—don't you think you should—"

"Mal?" Trip asked, a little afraid of his answer.

"That's not Hoshi." Mal grabbed the slim figure by the arms, lifting her bodily out of her chair. She brought her knee up in a humanly impossible maneuver that sent him sprawling backwards, and her whole posture changed. The wicked smile that cut across her face was _definitely_ not Hoshi's.

Mal growled and started to charge her, but Trip and Jon jumped in simultaneously, both thinking the same thing. "Don't kill her, Mal!" Trip demanded, wrestling with one of Mal's arms.

"It's not Hoshi—but it's Hoshi's body," Jon seconded, trying to hold back the other half. "We need it to get Hoshi back!"

The being that looked like Hoshi but wasn't cackled evilly at the pitiful humans' sentimental emotions—her species had quickly surmised that would be these creatures' downfall. They were too attached to their crewmates—even just the image of them—to do what they needed to do. And that was why _her_ people were going to win.

"I won't kill it," Mal promised, eyes never leaving the Hoshi-like being.

"How do we _know_ that?" Trip demanded.

"Captain, all our weapons have proven ineffective," T'Pol reminded them. "Mal may be the only person on the ship who can dominate this species through physical means."

Jon and Trip shared a long look. Then they both let go of Mal. His response was swift, leaping across the Captain's chair to tackle the not-Hoshi where she stood, wiping the triumphant smirk off her face. Trip could barely watch the fight that followed—the invading aliens gave the bodies they used a greater strength and endurance than normal, but to him it was still like Mal duking it out with Hoshi. And punching her in the face. Repeatedly.

Suddenly a shimmering squiggle of light fluttered away from Hoshi's body, sailing through the air with a frantic glitter of color. Mal lost interest in Hoshi immediately, batting at the band of light as it swooped through the Bridge. It needed another host, another body that would be safe to live in, or it would perish.

It stopped in front of Trip.

 

Trip awoke in Sickbay feeling like a shuttlepod had landed on him. "What the h—l?" he muttered, starting to reach his hand up to his aching face.

A hand on his wrist stopped him. "You probably shouldn't do that," Mal cautioned gently.

"Did we—did we get rid of those alien squiggle things?" Trip asked dimly.

"We certainly did," Jon answered, from his other side. Trip hadn't even seen him; the eye on that side was swollen shut, apparently. "Thanks to Mal."

"What finally worked?" Trip wanted to know.

"Apparently, Mal's complete willingness to beat the c—p out of you," Jon told him dryly.

Well. That would explain why he felt so awful. "It wasn't _Trip_ ," Mal corrected hurriedly. "Trip wasn't there. Although, unfortunately," he added, more apologetically, "the thing I had to attack _was_ sort of attached to your body."

"In the sense that it _was_ your body," Archer clarified.

"Oh good," Trip decided. "Glad to help."

"Hey, but the good news is, you aren't dead!" Jon reminded him in an overly cheerful tone of voice. "And neither is Hoshi, or anyone else Mal attacked. So I guess he _is_ learning to have more than two settings."

"What?" asked Mal in confusion.

"Never mind," Trip assured him.


End file.
